It is the principal object of the present invention to construct a golf putter that will improve the putting performance of golfers. The prior art has taught a variety of head and shaft constructions and arrangements for golf putters. However, many such putters do not comply with the rules of the United States Golf Association (USGA) because they are built outside of the required specifications or they require the player to assume an illegal stance when putting. Hence, such putters cannot be used in tournaments conducted pursuant to, sponsored or sanctioned by the USGA. See Rule 2 and Appendix II USGA Re-Drafts (Sep. 11, 1981), which are incorporated herein by reference.
The construction of a putter according to the rules require that the shaft or neck or socket of a putter be fixed at any point in the head and need not remain in line with the heel. The axis of the shaft from the top to a point not more than five (5) inches (127 mm) above the sole shall diverge in the toe-heel plane from the vertical by at least ten (10) degrees in relation to the horizontal line determining the length of the head. A yoke-type of clubhead must be filled.
The length of the clubhead shall be greater than the breadth. These measurements are made on horizontal lines between the vertical projections of the extremities when the clubhead is grounded in its normal address position. The rules further permit that only for putters can furrows or runners extend into the face.
Conventional putters have a flat face which when striking the ball, especially on a long putt, causes the ball to skid. The skidding causes a loss of control of the ball since the ball can jump off the ground especially on a long putt. Skidding can amount to 20% of the distance to the hole in long putts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,015 discloses a four-prong putter head having an insert. However, the head is not balanced.
The present invention seeks to solve these problems and improve the player's putting performance by providing a putter with a novel inverted V-shaped construction. This construction is in compliance with the USGA rules and provides the player with an improved balance and feel of the club and more control over the putt which results in better putting performance.